ARMED police carried out major operations this weekend to tackle two gun alerts in just 24 hours.

Officers surrounded a house in Walker Road, Splott, Cardiff, for almost six hours after a man threatened to use a firearm on his partner.

The man, understood to be in his mid-30s, made the threats in a mobile phone call to police at around 9.45am yesterday.

Shortly before 11am local residents saw several police cars pull up and a number of streets around Walker Road were sealed off.

Around half a dozen members of South Wales Police's armed response unit then took up positions around one house in the street.

Police negotiators were also put on alert at nearby Roath police station.

Neighbours were told to remain in their homes or to leave and stay behind police barriers.

Shortly before 4pm six officers, armed with MP5 machine guns, made their way through the front door of the house.

But the building was empty and, after making sure there were no firearms in the house, police reopened the road.

A police spokesman explained: "When we had the phone call we were concerned for the man's partner.

"However, we located her and found that she was safe. We then believed the house to be empty. The armed officers who moved into the house were carrying out a search and contain operation. There was no-one inside."

He added: "The man made the call from a mobile phone. We believe now that he could be in the Gwent area and are making efforts with Gwent Police to find him.

"I do not believe the man is known to police or that there are children involved."

Jackie Owen, 53, who lives next-door to the siege house, said: "It was shocking to suddenly see all these police cars in the street.

"I know the man. He seems nice. He lives with his girlfriend and has been living here a few months."

Another resident said: "It was like a film. There were officers in black uniforms with guns on two corners of our street. I'm glad the man was not there."

Neighbour Heather Eason said she had heard police say that they thought the man had taken drugs and a large amount of paracetamol.

On Friday night, during a separate incident, a man went "berserk" in a house in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.

The man smashed up the house and started a fire as armed police sealed off Fryatt Street and Coronation Street.

They were called to the town at about 7.45pm after witnesses said a man had a crossbow and a knife.

When police surrounded the house, the man threw a television through the window then set fire to the living room.

"He then came out of the house and dropped to the ground and police took him away," said one neighbour.

"It was quite frightening."

A man was arrested and was yesterday helping police with their inquiries.

No-one else was in the property during the 75-minute siege and the crossbow was not loaded.

South Wales Police Inspector Mark Taylor, who was at the scene, said: "It was a domestic incident where the person started to smash the house up. He had gone berserk."

The inspector added: "He had injuries which he received medical treatment. They were self-inflicted injuries."